"How are you enjoying life here on the Chimaera?"
You were having dinner with Thrawn in his personal set of rooms, as you often did. You think about his question for a moment, looking down at your plate instead of at Thrawn who was sitting across from you at the table.
"I am enjoying it very much. I miss my family, but I talk to them frequently enough even if it's not in person," you reply to Thrawn.
"I am glad to hear that you are becoming more accustomed to your new life," Thrawn said with a nod, and he seemed to mean it.
You smiled up at him. You were growing to like the Chiss more, though you still couldn't imagine marrying him.
"I have an invitation for you," Thrawn said without warning.
You look up, not entirely sure where he may be going with this.
"All right," you say with slight confusion. "Let's hear it."
"As a Grand Admiral in the Imperial Navy, I am occasionally responsible for some political and diplomatic matters," Thrawn explains. "I have recently been asked to go on a diplomatic mission of sorts, the Empire is always eager to extend it's sphere of influence. The planet of Sosa has been debating joining the Empire, much like your own planet. The Empire wants me to go on a diplomatic mission to visit with the King of the planet. The mission will serve as a show of good faith, and a show of force. I was wondering if you would like to accompany me in meeting with the King of Sosa."
You tilt your head to the side, thinking. He was phrasing it as a question and you suspected that if you truly did not want to go and refused his invitation, he wouldn't force you. However, you saw no reason not to accompany him on a simple trip, and it could even be fun. There was only so much to do on the Chimaera, and you were starting to get a little bit bored.
You meet Thrawn's red eyes and smile as you say, "I would love to accompany you on the visit. When is it? And what is the planet like?"
"Our visit is scheduled for six days from now," Thrawn informs you. "Sosa is a desert planet, very sandy and very dry. Temperatures in the summer are very, very high, not usually dropping below 80 degrees, even at night. Temperatures in the winter are extremely cold, hitting negative temperatures almost every night. It is currently summer there, so you should speak to your maid about preparing clothes suitable for the temperatures, perhaps in styles somewhat traditional for the planet if you so desire. We will remain there for almost a week."
You nod in response, your thoughts already traveling to thoughts of the preparations you will need to make over the next few days.
Mira practically squealed in excitement when you told her about the trip.
"You get to go to Sosa!" she exclaimed.
You turn to look at your maid. "Have you ever been there?" you ask. "Or even heard of it?"
Mira cocks her head to the side. "Well," she says tentatively. "I think I might have heard the name. Once."
You turn to face Mira and then say, "if you don't actually know anything about Sosa, why are you so excited?"
Mira shrugs. "I take pleasure in the small things, you get to go somewhere. That's exciting!"
You shake your head. "You're a strange one," you tell her.
Mira just flashes you a smile and says, "I may be a strange one, but I'm a strange one who's going to make you look absolutely gorgeous for your vacation."
You and Mira turn to the HoloNet to find out more about Sosa. Thrawn was correct when he told you about the extreme temperatures, and how hot it gets in the summer. The specific place you are visiting is the capital city. The buildings are made of stone and are incredibly old. It's all very fascinating, but what you and Mira are most interested in learning about is the fashion.
On Sosa in the summertime, light fabrics were favored. Clothes were always light and flowy, designed to be breathable. In women's fashion, there were two extremes. It seemed that clothing covered either your entire body, or practically none of it. One guess as to which one Mira was voting on.
"You'd look so good if you dressed like that," your maid exclaimed.
"I can't wear that," you say with exasperation. "It's practically scandalous. I'd pretty much be walking around in a bikini."
"You're going to be spending most of your time inside," says Mira. "There's no reason to cover every inch of your skin. Besides, it's hardly a bikini. You're basically wearing a crop top with a skirt."
"A bikini top," you counter.
"Not a bikini top," Mira argues. "It covers more skin than that."
"It is a piece of fabric wrapped around my breasts," you say with a sigh. "It's a bikini top."
"Well," Mira says thoughtfully. "Some of these outfits have a sort of cape thing connected at the neck and then the wrists. You could have one of those."
You look at Mira, attempting to convey how this will not solve your problem by sheer force of your gaze.
Mira seems to consider for a moment. "Here's an idea," she says finally. "How about we get a variety of styles of clothes. You can see what the other women are wearing, and you can adjust accordingly. If you go outside, you can wear flowy robes so that your skin doesn't get burned to a red crisp. Your wardrobe will be versatile, and you can wear what makes you feel comfortable."
"Fine," you huff. "But I'm not wearing any bikinis."
"There might be a swimming pool there," says Mira as she's walking away. "I'll pack a bikini, just in case."
Six days later, you, Thrawn, and a small group of the Chimaera's senior officers were stepping off of your ship, only to be met with a wave of hot air.
You had taken a small transport from the Chimaera onto the planet's surface. Imperial Star Destroyers were much too big to land on a planet, so the Chimaera would stay in orbit.
In addition to the rush of hot air, there was also a small group of people who came to welcome you. There were about five or so people who you thought that they might be diplomats of some sort, mostly dressed in the flowing clothes that you had learned was common on Sosa. However, one woman was dressed in the rather skimpy attire that Mira had been so eager for you to wear. It was essentially a crop top. The neckline of her shirt was very high but there were no sleeves, and the shirt ended a little below her breasts, leaving her entire stomach out for display. You decided not to tell Mira.
The ship had landed on top of a palace of sorts, Thrawn had told you that it was where the King of Sosa lived. Thrawn also explained that the King was a true king, unlike the royalty of Naboo. When the current King died, his oldest son would inherit the throne. They were kings for life.
The palace was very impressive. There were domes, arches, turrets, and towers. All made out of reddish orangish stone. The sand was red, too. As you had flown in, you had gotten an excellent view of the rolling sand dunes that covered most of the planet.
Polite greetings were exchanged, and you were shown to the guest wing of the palace. The interior of the palace was obviously very old, but remodeled to fit modern technology. It was an excellent blend between modern, and traditional. There were pots and traditional tapestries sitting next to metal sliding doors.
Each member of your party was shown to a different room in the guest wing, all fairly close together.
The woman with the skimpy crop top showed you to your room, gave you a card to slide to open it, and then left you to 'get settled'. The interior of your room was nice. The room was decorated with a nice blue, red, and orange color palette. The walls were stone, and there were a few windows set into the wall, along with a doorway leading out to a balcony, which gave you a good view of the city. The main room appeared to be a sitting room of some sort. There was a table, set low to the ground with cushions scattered around. There were no chairs, so you decided that the cushions were meant for sitting.
A doorway off the main room led to a sleeping chamber. The bed was also low to the ground, that seemed to be a trend on this planet.
You had been informed that your belongings would be brought in shortly, along with your maid. (You weren't entirely sure how Mira would feel about being 'brought' anywhere.) So you settled onto one of the surprisingly comfortable floor cushions, and decided to make the most out of this vacation.
